Sharing Oxygen
by Angelikah
Summary: When Caroline comes to be a counselor at Camp Whitmore and realizes that her childhood rival is going to be there too, she's determined to keep hating him. After all, Klaus is inconsiderate, rude, and...totally not seven years old anymore. Can Caroline fight their unresolved tension, or will she find herself falling for him despite her best efforts?
1. Chapter 1

This is a birthday present for MrsAgentCooper, also known as accidental-rambler on tumblr. It's an expansion of one of my minidrabbles in Love Anthology, and it got too long to be a one-shot, so it's three parts, the majority of it already done. Thank you to garglyswoof for beta work, and to fanfantasticworld on tumblr for the cover.

I hope you like it, Kate!

* * *

Caroline took a deep breath, inhaling the woodsy scent of the forest. She'd gone to Camp Whitmore every summer since she was seven, first as a camper, then as a junior counselor, and now as a counselor herself.

The orientation would last a week, and then after that the children would arrive and general pandemonium would ensue. There were four cabins for every age group, two for boys and two for girls. She and her best friend Bonnie would be in charge of the Dolphin Cabin, which would contain a dozen seven to eight-year-old girls.

The two of them had actually driven up together from the airport. They'd met on the first day of camp when they were seven and had been inseparable ever since. Though they lived a few states away from each other, they managed to Skype or have phone calls at least once a week, and they alternated flying over to the others' house for Spring Break every year once their parents had accepted that they wouldn't stop begging to see each other despite the distance.

Camp Whitmore really did make lifelong bonds.

"I'm so glad we're in the same cabin, Bon," Caroline said, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"It's not like they could split us up. They know better."

Caroline nodded, remembering the summer when they were eleven and they'd been separated. Caroline had been in the Panda Cabin and had snuck away to join Bonnie in the Koala Cabin every night until they'd given up and switched her with another girl. "That's true."

They took a step forward as the line to register moved, the chattering of the crowd of young adults in bright orange 'Camp Whitmore' t-shirts filling the air.

"I'm just so excited," Caroline said, her fingers twisting in front of her. "Like, is it weird that I have a feeling this is going to be the best summer ever?"

"Not really. It's good to be optimistic," Bonnie said, nudging her forward as the person in the front of the line got their orientation packet and moved aside. The camp director slid the sign in sheet towards Caroline.

"Hey Ric," she said with a grin, bending down to sign in and get her copy of the staff handbook and the schedule for orientation. "How are you?"

"Good," Alaric said. "Glad to have you back."

"Thanks!" she said with a grin, her smile faltering when she spied a name that was all too familiar. "I lied. This is going to be the worst summer ever," she said grumpily over her shoulder to Bonnie, signing her signature in perfect cursive next to her printed name on the list and dating it before standing up again, huffing.

She'd hoped never to see Klaus Mikaelson again for as long as she lived.

He had also attended the camp from age seven to sixteen, but, to Caroline's relief, he'd stopped right before he was the age to be a junior counselor. She'd had three peaceful, Klaus-free years, but it appeared that they were now coming to an end.

She realized that Bonnie had been talking, and turned to face her friend, who was waiting patiently for Caroline to get out of the way so that she could sign in as well. "Hey, earth to Caroline? Why is this going to be the worst summer ever?"

"Klaus is here," she hissed. "Ugh, everyone protect your Bubble Yum."

Bonnie rolled her eyes, shoving Caroline aside lightly so that she could sign her name on the sheet. "You are the only person I know who could hold a grudge for twelve years because someone put gum in your hair."

"I had been growing my hair out for six months," Caroline said irritably, suppressing the urge to tell Bonnie the real reason she was angry.

She'd never told her best friend what had happened That Night, when Klaus had "stolen" some booze and the counselor on duty (read: his older sister Freya, which made it more bribing and less stealing) had turned a blind eye to the oldest campers having a bit of a party by the dying bonfire. Bonnie hadn't hated Klaus for as long as Caroline had, but while Caroline's dislike had stayed at a stagnant, moderate level, Bonnie's had increased every summer for various reasons.

Therefore, no matter how much Caroline kind of _really_ wanted to talk about it, as far as Bonnie was concerned, nothing out of the ordinary happened at the bonfire.

Which, to be fair, was kind of true.

He'd spent the entire summer being weirdly nice to her, though he still treated everyone else like shit, and at first she thought it was some kind of trap before she realized he _liked_ her. She resisted, but he grew on her. She wanted him.

It turned out that her summer hadn't been destined to include drunken confessions or sweet last-night 'I'll see you next summer' fuck-farewells the way there were in movies. She was nothing if not stubborn and grudge-holding, and when he cornered her at the bonfire to ask her out (they lived near enough to each other that it would only be a mild inconvenience to have a date) she'd said no. Bonnie hated him, and Caroline was _supposed_ to hate him, and she knew that she couldn't let herself give in, not unless she had a _really_ good reason.

She'd expected him to fight for her or something, to give her a decidedly un-Klaus-like vulnerable stare and say he _wanted_ her. Instead she saw a flash of what might have been hurt (but just as easily could have been confusion) before he'd shrugged and walked away, as though he hadn't cared about her _at all_ , and proceeded to make out with Aurora DeMartel.

She'd told herself that she was clearly just a conquest, a challenge. That he'd wanted an easy lay before they left for home. She was an unmemorable opportunity, and as soon as she turned him down, he was on his way. He didn't care.

Completely. Normal.

God, she hoped he'd grown up to be hideous or something. It was a slim chance, to be fair. Even as a sixteen-year-old with a few spots and poofy-ish hair, she could accept that he was attractive, but given a couple years for his limbs to even out and his voice to deepen... Well, he had the potential to be legitimately hot, and she wasn't sure she could handle it.

She hated him, okay? Really. Pure unadulterated hatred.

He was the _worst_.

Seriously.

"Caroline, you didn't even have to cut your hair. They got it out with peanut butter and you were fine," Bonnie said, pulling Caroline out of her thoughts. "There are so many legitimate reasons to hate him. Is the gum incident still really the one you're clinging to?"

"Yeah, of course! I mean, I got the gum out, but it was just the first in a long list of offenses. He's such an ass."

"He only did that because he got a reaction out of you, and I don't think you can judge someone by their behavior as a seven-year-old," Bonnie said. "Let's give him the benefit of the doubt."

"You hate him, too! And anyway, he was just as bad every year after that until we were blessed with him leaving."

"I'm just trying to be optimistic. Like, no offense, Care, but you weren't exactly a picnic as a kid either."

" _You_ liked me," she said defensively, and Bonnie smiled.

"Yeah, because we were best friends within five minutes of being on a bus together, so you never told me my backpack was a 'tacky plastic Lisa Frank knockoff' because I broke your art project."

"Aurora totally deserved it," Caroline said mutinously.

"Look, you were nice to most people, but if people got you mad…"

"Yeah, I know, I'm a grudge-holding bitch," Caroline said with a twitch of her lips. "But Klaus was never nice to me. He totally deserves us hating him, okay?"

"Well, I disagree, but I suppose that it's nice to know I made such an impression," a familiar accented voice, if a bit deeper and huskier now, said from behind her.

Caroline whirled around, ready to tell Klaus that he wasn't allowed to speak to her unless he absolutely had to (that accent could be a problem), but stopped short when she saw him. The accent was the least of her worries.

Dimples. Short, decidedly non-poofy blonde hair with a light curl. Stubble. Blue eyes. A shirt that clung to him like a second skin.

A twisted smug smirk when he noticed that she was checking him out.

 _Damn it._

She shook herself, swallowing. "I'll be professional if you are," she said, knowing that she shouldn't try to manage too many words before she processed. Clearly karma couldn't do her any favors, because not only was Klaus ridiculously hot, but he also seemed to be undressing her with his eyes in much the same way that she'd done to him.

"Well, from the way you were staring at me I'd say that'll be more of a challenge for you, love," he said with a smug, dimpled grin.

She gritted her teeth, trying to ignore the fact that he was clearly just trying to push her buttons. "How to be professional: Rule number one, don't call me 'love'. My name's Caroline," she said, trying to sound calm despite the rage already boiling inside of her.

She was so mad, both at herself for still wanting him, and at him for knowing it.

"It's all right, love. I'm not all that interested in being professional either," he said, his eyes pointedly roaming up and down her body.

"I— _Excuse me_?"

Klaus ignored her indignation, turning to scrawl his signature in annoyingly pretty calligraphy. He gave her another smirk and a wink as he stood, capping the pen and letting it fall to the plastic table with a clack. "Feel free to look at me all you want, _love_."

"Seriously?" she spluttered, but he just stuffed his hands in his pockets, walking past her and snagging the packet for his cabin from a rather amused-looking Alaric.

Oh, it was _on_.

 **XXX**

Bonnie and Caroline had been peacefully making glitter-embossed dolphin nametags for their campers when Alaric had come by to say that they had CPR training followed by team-building activities by the pool at two o'clock. Caroline had assumed that meant playing games with other people, including Klaus, that were most likely physical... while soaking wet and half-clothed.

She was torn between 'sign her up' and 'this is a disaster', but she also knew it was her best chance to implement her plan.

After Klaus had left her fuming by the sign-in sheet, she'd decided that she'd just make him as uncomfortable as possible. He wanted to be unprofessional? She'd taunt him within an inch of his control and then shut him the fuck down.

"I hate him," Caroline muttered to Bonnie as she waited for her turn to prove that she could do CPR. Klaus had finished his test a half hour before, and he and some of the other male counselors were playing basketball at the court nearby while they waited for the rest of the counselors to be done with CPR training. She watched as his muscles rippled under his white shirt, the sweat from exertion making it stick to him, and as though he felt her eyes on him, he turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow and grinning.

She flushed, looking away, but snuck a glance back at him after a few seconds to see if he was still watching her. He wasn't, but only because she'd caught him mid-movement of pulling his shirt off. She involuntarily licked her lips as his skin was revealed. A bird tattoo that she was _sure_ he hadn't had three years ago was inked into his skin, and she turned back to look at Bonnie, who was watching her with a raised eyebrow, her gaze darting between her and Klaus.

"Everything okay there, Care?"

"Yeah. I was just...thinking about how horrible he was."

Bonnie snorted inelegantly. "You were thinking about jumping his bones."

"I was _not_."

"Sure, Care," Bonnie said. "It's fine. You can admit it."

"He's a terrible person," Caroline said.

"I know," Bonnie said sympathetically. "That doesn't make him any less hot, though. Just...you know... don't _actually_ have sex with him."

"I would never have sex with him," Caroline said defensively as she took a step forward in line when the next person passed the test. "I hate him."

"I know," Bonnie said. "Hate sex is a thing."

" _Bonnie!_ "

"What?" Bonnie asked, rolling her eyes. "God, Care, you're so defensive."

"Just the idea of it grosses me out," Caroline said, wrinkling her nose, and Bonnie's eyes narrowed, clearly about to say something before the instructor called Caroline's name.

Caroline sighed, walking to the training dummy and dropping to her knees to begin chest compressions, counting them under her breath. She could feel someone's eyes on her and glanced up as she bent to breathe into the training dummy's mouth, seeing Klaus staring at her with his lips slightly parted before he caught the ball Marcel had thrown and turned to make a perfect shot into the basket, as though he had been paying attention the whole time.

Her chest compressions after he turned away might have been a bit too hard, but if Meredith (the nurse) had noticed, she didn't say anything. Once she'd passed, Meredith told her she could hang around by the pool until lunch, and she walked away, her mind racing.

He was clearly still into her, but she wasn't sure whether it was purely physical or if he actually had any interest beyond that. Either way, he was obviously baiting her. He was making her feel like a hormonal teenager, a phase she had been very glad to be done with. She huffed, kicking off her flip-flops and sinking down by the edge of the pool, putting her feet in the water and wriggling her toes. She needed her control back, needed to feel like she was the one driving this... _thing_ between them.

She peeked up at Klaus through her eyelashes to see him stretch, his muscles rippling in the sun.

Two could play this game.

Though they were required to wear one-piece bathing suits around the campers, bikinis were fine in the lake areas off-limits to the kids, so she'd brought one for days off. The cover-up she'd put on over the suit and a tiny pair of denim cut-offs was flimsy at best. She waited for Klaus to take another glance at her to shed her cover-up in one movement, deliberately arching her back and stretching. She fought down a grin at the way he drank her in with his eyes, the way his tongue darted across his lips, and she busied herself chatting with Bonnie, letting her long legs stretch out into the water.

She glanced at Klaus every now and then as she and Bonnie waited for everyone else to be finished with the tests, satisfied that he seemed to be constantly distracted from his basketball game. If Bonnie noticed, she didn't comment.

Once they were all gathered around the pool, Caroline barely paid attention to Alaric as he explained the first team-building game, and Bonnie had to hiss a summary of the instructions as Alaric directed the girls to one side and guys to the other.

It quickly became clear that it was some sort of water dodgeball, which was fine with her as it gave her time to jump up and down in the pool and throw a plastic ball at him with an unnecessary amount of force while he was distracted by her cleavage.

What the deal was with boys and breasts was still beyond her understanding, but it was an advantage and she'd take it.

Unfortunately, he'd either caught on to her plan or just thought in a similar direction, and she suddenly felt a bit flustered as he focused all of his attention on her. His wet curls were sticking to his forehead, his swim trunks sitting low on his hips, and her tongue ran over her lips as she imagined licking the beads of water clinging to his stubbled jaw.

His dimpled grin made heat stir in her belly and anger bloom in her chest, and she couldn't fucking _believe_ that he'd managed to turn this into her staring at him lustfully as he undressed her with his eyes and a smug smile.

Fuck this bitch.

Like, who did he think he was?

She waited until he wasn't looking before pitching a dodgeball at his face, hitting him in the cheek. He whirled to look at her, his teeth gritted, and she gave him a wide-eyed innocent stare, her hand flying to her mouth.

"Oops. I am _so_ sorry."

 **XXX**

Caroline looked up from her book as identical screaming voices pierced the air from the other side of the pool. She sighed as she saw the two twin girls splashing at one of the boys and got up to intervene. It was the second day of camp and the Pierce twins were already creating havoc...

"Elena! Tatia!" Caroline called, speed-walking to the edge of the water and jumping in to force the girls apart. "No fighting in the pool," she scolded.

"We weren't fighting," twin number one protested.

"We were _splashing_ ," the other added.

"Okay, well look at Matt's face," Caroline said patiently, pointing at Matt who was clearly still shaken by the splash attack. "Would you like it if someone just came up and started splashing you when you told them to stop?"

Both twins shrugged.

"Why don't you say you're sorry," Caroline suggested, and the twins exchanged a look before muttering apologies. "Thank you. Go play on the other side of the pool, okay?"

She watched the twins swim off and turned to Matt, who was standing a bit awkwardly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said softly.

"Do you need me to get one of your cabin counselors?"

"No. I don't need help," he said, his jaw setting, and she suppressed an eyeroll.

"Okay. Pool time is over in about half an hour."

"Yeah," he muttered, and Caroline swam away, preparing to get out of the pool when she felt a small child jump on her back. She barely had time to shout out when another one joined in, giggling.

She felt her head submerge, bubbles flooding out of her nose, and she tried to fight off the children that she could hear screaming as they dunked her. She knew that they probably thought they were playing, but she could feel her lungs contracting as she struggled for air, trying desperately to resurface.

She tried her best to escape the mad giggling and grabbing hands, but she just...couldn't...

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please let me know if you have any feedback. Favorite parts? Favorite lines? Predictions?

Let's all just remember that Klaus learned CPR like the rest of them... Not that it's a _spoiler_ or anything, but no panic is necessary :P

Reviews are the only way I know what you think, so please leave one! :D


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you so much for your support so far! I really appreciate it. Thank you to garglyswoof for beta work.

Also just as a disclaimer, I am not a doctor. I am certified to do CPR, but I did the bare minimum of research about what happens afterward, and also cornered Sophie to ask a few questions, but this is probably not medically accurate. Like, at all. Suspend your disbelief!

* * *

The next thing she knew, hands were pressing against her chest, and she spluttered before lips pressed over hers, breathing air inside of her, her body flailing as she began to cough.

She opened her eyes, trying to regain her bearings, and saw Klaus looking down at her, his eyes wide and apprehensive, clearly waiting for her to show that she was actually conscious. "Oh my god, Caroline..." he said frantically when he realized she'd woken, his thumb on her pulse. "The paramedics will be here soon, sweetheart. Just hold on."

 _Sweetheart...?_

"Is she okay?" Caroline heard one of the twins ask, and Klaus turned around, snarling.

"Go sit down. Now. You've done quite enough."

"Klaus," she whispered. "Don't..."

"They nearly killed you, Caroline," he hissed.

"It was an accident," she said weakly, and Klaus shook his head.

"I don't particularly care. The paramedics will be here soon and they'll take you to the hospital. I'll let Bonnie know what happened and she'll watch the little monsters, I'm sure."

"They're not-"

"Shh," he said again, and she couldn't help but relax at the noise, letting him pull her against him, his arms strong around her waist.

She'd blame her reaction of snuggling against him on shock and trauma later, but for now she just wanted to bask in his warmth. "Breathe. You're safe, sweetheart," he whispered, stroking her hair as he held her, and she tried to relax.

She wasn't sure what was happening or how much time had passed when she heard frantic voices and felt Klaus's arms fall away, his body heat leaving her.

"Sedative," she heard a man say, and Klaus's voice asking if he could come with.

"Are you a friend of hers?"

"Yes," he said tersely.

"Bonnie," she said, her eyes opening slowly as she heard the doors slam. "Get Bonnie."

"We've already left, but I'm sure she'll come visit you in the hospital," Klaus said soothingly, and when she looked up again she realized that she'd never seen him this shaken, this _scared_.

Had he been worried for her that much?

"Did she hit her head?" the EMT asked, and she felt a warm calloused hand close around hers as Klaus spoke.

"I'm not sure, but I don't think so. There were four of the things on top of her, but I don't think she stumbled to the pool wall, just got forced under the surface."

"Okay."

She tried to concentrate on her breathing, but her vision swam, and everything went black.

She stirred slowly when she woke, opening her eyes blearily to find that she was in a hospital bed, a faint beeping coming from a machine beside her, and she could feel a tube inserted underneath her skin. Her head hurt, and she coughed, her lungs aching. She hated hospitals. Sure, it wasn't exactly common to _like_ them, but she couldn't help but want to get out immediately. Maybe she could talk to a nurse and get discharged? She didn't exactly feel fresh as a daisy, but she wasn't like, _dying_.

The bed creaked as she prepared to sit up, and she froze when an accented voice spoke from beside her.

"Caroline, lie back down."

She turned to see Klaus standing up from the seat beside her bed, looking calm enough that she wondered if she'd imagined how frantic he was earlier, and he walked at a normal pace to the door, sticking his head out and calling over a nurse, and she was soon pronounced able to breathe the tube removed.

"Klaus I'm fine," she said once the nurse left, continuing to push herself up, and he was beside her bed in an instant, gently pushing her back down, his hand hot against her chest.

"You're not," he said firmly. "You nearly died, and you're going to cooperate and let them sort you out."

"You can't tell me what to do," she said, her voice rather weak even to her own ears. She knew that she wasn't _actually_ going to leave, but Klaus ordering her around rubbed her the wrong way.

"What are you going to do, exactly? Get up and walk out the door?" he asked, seeming to sense her train of thought.

She was silent for a second, her eyes narrowed. "I hate hospitals, and you can't make me stay here."

"Right now I will," he said, his voice sharp and slightly angry. "Are you a doctor, Caroline?"

"No," she muttered. "But neither are you."

"Yes, but I've spoken to the doctor, and she's told me to ensure that you stay put."

Caroline huffed, looking away, and she felt Klaus's eyes on her for another second before she heard the chair scrape against the floor as he sat back down. She flinched when she heard his voice, but realized that he was just talking to Alaric on the phone.

The nurse bustled in, taking Caroline's vitals and snapping at Klaus about not using phones in the hospital rooms even as he updated Alaric on her condition, and Klaus ignored her for another ten seconds before hanging up. "I'm staying here with you until Bonnie comes, and then after she visits with you, she's driving me back to camp."

"Thanks for coming with me," she said awkwardly.

He shrugged, clearly not wanting to have an emotional conversation, and she rolled her eyes, turning away. The awkward silence remained for a while until there was a soft knock on the door and Caroline turned to see Bonnie poke her head in. She and Klaus stared at each other with blatant dislike for a few seconds before Bonnie cleared her throat. "Thanks for coming with her."

He gave her a stiff nod, but didn't move.

"Can you give us a few minutes? Go get some hospital coffee, or something," Bonnie said pointedly, and Klaus shot a look at Caroline, who averted her eyes until she heard him walk out, the door closing behind him.

"How are you feeling?" Bonnie asked immediately, dragging the chair by Caroline's bed. "You scared the shit out of me."

"Sorry...?" Caroline half-asked, and Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"I can't believe no one noticed them jumping on you like that. And like, what did they expect to happen? Did they think you were unbreakable? Were they raised in barns?"

Bonnie was clearly gearing up for a rant, and Caroline tried to nip it in the bud before her friend could really get going. "I'm fine now, Bon. It's going to be okay."

"Yeah, thanks to Klaus," Bonnie said grumpily. "God, it's so hard to hate him when he saved your life."

"I know, right?"

Bonnie gave her a small smile before it faltered, and her brow furrowed. "What's with him, anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it was kind of weird for him to get in the ambulance with you, right? And like, Alaric told him he could come back, but Klaus said no and that he'd stay here until I got off for the day."

"Yeah, I don't know," Caroline said, trying to keep eye contact with Bonnie, knowing that if she didn't, her friend would think something was off.

She was almost sure that Klaus came with her because he actually cared about her, which was weird considering that he never really cared about anyone, and was generally a total ass no matter who you were. Sure, Klaus had shown signs of liking her, whether it was the campfire when they were sixteen or his constant baiting of her during orientation, but she hadn't thought he cared about her in any way that was more than physical.

And sure, saving her life was what any decent human being would do if they had the ability, but Klaus had also gotten into the ambulance with her, had _sat with her in the hospital_ , and she was a little bit confused by his behavior. Was it possible that he really was emotionally invested in her?

She realized that Bonnie was talking, and she tuned back in to hear that her friend was ranting about how Alaric hadn't sent the kids home from camp and had simply given them a long talk about behavior and gave them time-outs, as well as calling their parents.

"It's just enabling them," Bonnie ranted. "God, I cannot believe him."

"It's fine, Bon."

"It is not fine," Bonnie argued, her eyes gleaming with what Caroline recognized as protective fury, and she shifted, ready to tell Bonnie that she should probably calm down, but the other girl sat back down and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly and looking back at Caroline. "So, do you get any decent channels on the hospital TV?"

Caroline laughed quietly, reaching for the remote on the side-table. "We can check."

 **XXX**

Caroline shifted on the towel she'd laid out, the hot sun warming her back. She'd just gotten out of the hospital, the doctor okay-ing work as long as she took it easy, but Alaric insisted on her taking another day off to recuperate, and she'd piled on sunscreen before making her way to the lake to tan. The secluded spot was off-limits to campers, and the staff used it to relax when they had free time and wanted a swim. It was still before noon, and most of the counselors with days off generally slept until around one o'clock, the strain and exhaustion of dealing with a dozen children 24/7 taking their toll.

The area was remote enough that she felt comfortable untying the string of her bikini to prevent tan lines, and her phone played soft music on speaker as she dozed. It was nice and quiet, the day admittedly a bit breezy as the wind whistled through the trees, but otherwise quite peaceful. She was relaxed enough to let herself drift off, daydreaming about what she'd do when she could get alone with clean fingers and no chance of interruption by children...

"All right, love?"

She shrieked in surprise, rolling over to see Klaus standing over her, a smug smirk on his face. "What the hell are you doing?" she demanded, scrambling up to glare at him before remembering that her bikini top had been untied (and was therefore off). She looked around frantically, but she couldn't spy even a hint of the bright pink and white candyfloss pattern.

"I just came to say hello," he said easily, apparently unflustered by the fact that she was topless and full of righteous fury. "How's your morning off?"

"I'm literally going to kill you," she growled.

"I sincerely doubt it," he said with a twitch of his lips.

"Can you, like, turn around or something while I find my top?" she asked, turning away to frown at the lake, as though expecting the top to miraculously surface.

"Unfortunately I believe it's fallen in the lake, never to be seen again," he said, and she turned to glare at him, stopping short when she saw his naked chest, the cloth of his shirt in his outstretched hand. "I honestly had no intention of startling you, love."

She glared at him for a second before awkwardly covering her breasts as much as she could with one arm and snatching the cloth out of his hands. "Turn around."

He did, and she pulled his shirt over her head, the soft cotton nice against her skin. God, why did he have to _smell so good_?

"You can turn back now," she said grumpily. She bent down to pick up her phone and turn the sound off, mostly to avoid looking at his sculpted chest, and she tossed it in the beach bag, standing up again. "So, are you here for a reason, or were you just planning on making me lose my $100 bikini top for funsies?"

"Why would you spend that much on a swimsuit?"

"Because it made my boobs look fucking fantastic," she said, pressing on before he could say whatever that wicked grin promised. "That's not the point, though. Why are you here?"

"As I said, I just came to say hello."

She glared at him, her eyes narrowed. "Okay, well you said hello. You can go now."

He sat down on the grass, looking completely unbothered by her hostility. "I want to talk."

"About?"

"You and me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He gave her a dimpled grin. "I fancy you."

"I know," she said grumpily, shifting from foot to foot. "What's your point?"

"You fancy me as well."

She glared at him, trying to figure out how to respond. She was a horrible liar, and though she managed to fool pretty much everyone else by just playing the 'awkward ramble' card, Klaus had, for some reason, always been able to see right through it. "I don't," she said, rather feebly even to her own ears.

"Now, Caroline, let's not lie to ourselves."

"You're an ass," she muttered.

"I am," he admitted with an ease that somehow didn't surprise her. "However, I'm not sure what I've done to make you think so low of me that you won't give me a chance."

"You think you're entitled to one," she said simply, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye as she finally sat down beside him, fiddling with the end of his t-shirt.

"I'm not the man I was when I was sixteen, Caroline, and I wish you'd stop judging me for it."

She snorted. "Yeah, you've been better, sure. Like, you haven't made anyone cry or punched anyone this summer. Yet. But the thing is that if you think you should get a gold star for meeting the bar for 'not a shit person', that's a problem. I don't have to give you a chance just because you want one and you meet what you consider to be the minimum standard."

He stiffened. "I saved your life, Caroline," he said tersely, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Okay. And? That's your job, Klaus. You learned CPR like the rest of us. This isn't a Disney movie. You saved my life. I really appreciate it. That doesn't give you the right to a relationship with me, or even to my friendship."

He was silent for a few seconds, his jaw clenched, and she could practically hear his mind whirring as he tried to process that she wasn't about to fall into his arms. "Anyway, I'm going to head back to camp to change into some clothes. I'll get your shirt back to you," she said, leaning to grab her beach bag and standing up.

She'd only taken a few steps when he spoke. "What do I have to do?"

"What?" she asked, turning to frown at him, though she knew what he meant.

"What do I have to do to earn a chance with you, Caroline?"

She wanted to tell him that he couldn't, and that she wasn't a prize to earn and he needed to stop treating her that way, but she could tell the effort it was taking for him to put himself out there, to ask... "Show me that you think I'm more than just a conquest that you can ditch at the first opportunity."

"You think I think that you're a conquest?" he asked, and it was a testament to how genuinely confused he was that his expression wasn't carefully blank. "What gave you that impression, love?"

"The bonfire," she said, crossing her arms over her chest, trying to push away how vulnerable she felt. "As soon as I said no, you went running off with the next bullet point on your checklist, and-"

"You are not a bullet point on a checklist, Caroline," he said quietly. "You're so much more."

"Then what was with Aurora?"

"You didn't want me," he said, and she could see his expression shutting down as his walls went up. "She did."

"So? If you really liked me, you wouldn't have-"

"You are vastly overestimating the amount of emotional intelligence possessed by sixteen-year-old boys, love."

She couldn't help but smile at that. "I guess it's good that I didn't say yes, then."

"But you can now," he said, and she fought down a smile at his almost teasingly hopeful eyes.

"No," she said, but the exasperation had gone from her voice, and she took another breath before looking at him steadily. "Even if... Even if you are taking me seriously, I can't do a summer romance," she said. "I'll get too invested and-"

"What if it isn't a summer romance?"

"What?" she asked, frowning.

"What if I want to continue this after we leave?"

"Long distance doesn't work," she said firmly.

"Who said it had to be long distance?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I only live about an hour or so from Boston-"

"How did you know I lived in Boston?" she asked, her eyes narrowed.

"I asked Marcel to ask Camille to ask Bonnie."

"That's some commitment," Caroline muttered, kicking the grass with her foot.

"I'm completely serious about you, Caroline. What do I have to do to prove it to you?" he asked, his tone void of any sort of desperation or coaxing, as though he was confident that he would be able to convince her.

Her teeth sunk into her lower lip as she considered it. "Why do you care so much?"

"You're brilliant and beautiful and-"

"Without giving me pointless adjectives about how awesome I am," she interrupted, and he laughed quietly.

"I think I realized it when you pushed the elder Salvatore into the pool, phone and all, for calling your friend Bonnie a rather unkind word."

"Seriously? You like me because I pushed Damon Salvatore into a pool and ruined his phone? I feel like I was just doing a service to the world."

"You were," he said with a straight face. "Though that isn't why I liked you. It's when I realized it."

"Okay, so then answer my question. Why?"

He stared at her for a few seconds, clearly weighing whether he should actually say what he wanted to, before sighing, stuffing his hands in his pockets, his necklaces swaying distractingly against his muscled chest. "I wanted your protectiveness. Your loyalty. Your kindness. You were this...unstoppable force of self-righteous anger. You cared so much for people you loved, and it struck me. Affection like that which you give your friends was something I desperately wanted. I still do."

"So...you like me because I like people?" she asked slowly.

"No, I like you because you have many qualities I value: you're beautiful, and you don't let me walk all over you, or put up with my bullshit," he said bluntly before grinning. "And because you shoved Damon Salvatore into a pool."

She couldn't fight down a small smile. "Okay."

"Okay?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and taking a few steps toward her.

"We can try," she said, edging towards him. "Just...don't tell Bonnie. I think I need to ease her into this."

"Don't tell your best friend that you're dating someone she hates? Small price to pay, sweetheart."

She couldn't help but smile at that, and they both paused with their faces just inches apart. Her heart was pounding. She felt like the world had stilled around her as he paused, clearly waiting for her to make the first move. Klaus looked down at her, his face blank but with warmth in his eyes, and she rested her palms against his chest before hesitantly standing on her toes to press her lips to his.

It was perfect. His lips were soft and warm, his hands pressing against the soft cotton of his shirt as he crushed her against his bare, muscled chest. She moaned softly into his mouth as she threaded her fingers through his hair, parting her lips slightly to let him explore her mouth with his tongue.

His fingers fiddled with the hem of the t-shirt as he backed them up against the nearest tree, and she gasped as the bark bit into her thighs, the pain weirdly pleasurable as he broke away to look at her, his eyes dark, lips swollen, and she felt her heartbeat skipping in her chest. "I've wanted to do that for years," he breathed. "Wanted you for years. I've thought about it so many times. Imagined this moment. What I would do."

She blushed, disentangling her hands from his hair to rest them against his shoulders, her thumb tracing the dip of his collarbone, his skin hot against her fingers. "Me too," she admitted.

He took her mouth again, the kiss more passionate this time, the slow, lazy strokes of tongue growing more insistent and urgent, his hands sneaking down to her ass to roll the strings of her bikini bottom between his fingers.

They were interrupted by a blaring of the phone in Klaus's pocket, and he stiffened, huffing in annoyance and pulling the phone out to turn the alarm off. "My break is over, sweetheart."

"It's okay," she said, trying to ignore the ache between her thighs.

"I'll see you later," he promised, grabbing her hand to squeeze it, pulling her in for a final kiss. "I must admit, I do like how you look in my clothes," he muttered.

She flushed, trying to find something to say as he walked away. Unfortunately, she was momentarily distracted by the triangle inked into his back, which was practically begging to be traced with her tongue, and he got through the trees before she managed to come up with anything particularly witty.

She sighed, glancing at the lake again, lamenting the loss of her bikini top, and that brought her to another problem...

How the hell was she supposed to get back to the cabin without anyone realizing that she was wearing Klaus's shirt?

* * *

Thanks for reading! Did you have a favorite part of the chapter? What do you think about Klaus and Caroline's conversation? Did it meet your expectations? In character? Any predictions? Let me know what you think!

Remember, this is a three-shot, so it moves a teensy bit fast, although if there's enough response I might include a chapter four with an epilogue sort-of thing. Please let me know if you guys would be interested!

Next chapter we'll get to the good stuff ;)


	3. Chapter 3

Last chapter! I'll probably to a quick post-summer epilogue, but this is the end of the camp bits! I hope you like it :)

Thank you to garglyswoof for beta work.

There is smut in this chapter.

* * *

She managed to sneak back during dinner, and by the time Bonnie had returned, she had Klaus's shirt shoved under her pillow. There was something exciting about keeping their relationship a secret, and talking to Bonnie about what she'd been doing all day was strangely not as stressful as she'd thought it would be. It was weird that she'd spent so much time hating Klaus (or, at least, pretending to hate him) and now that she had given in, she was kind of ready to just... _go_.

She wanted this. Wanted him. It was exciting and exhilarating and _new_. He said he'd been waiting for her, that he'd wanted her for _years_ , and for some reason, she felt like she just hadn't known she'd been waiting too.

She distracted herself with returning to her counselor duties the next day, practically attacked by hugs and apologies by the campers, and insisted that she was fine now. Maintaining her peppy attitude was much easier when she had the excitement of a new relationship constantly in the back of her mind.

She tried not to be cold to the twins, knowing that they probably hadn't meant to hurt her, but she found it even harder when Elena spoke during dinner through a mouthful of potatoes. "Are you and Klaus dating?" she asked abruptly.

Caroline nearly choked on her food but managed to swallow. "No, but even if I were, it wouldn't be any of your business."

"But he saved your life," Elena insisted. "That's _so_ romantic."

"And he calls you sweetheart," Tatia piped up, nearly making Caroline groan.

"Well, just because boys save your life or do romantic things doesn't mean you're obligated to like them," Caroline said, trying to turn the question into a 'teachable moment' and fighting down her blush.

She could feel someone's eyes on her, and she turned to look to see Klaus watching her with dark eyes and a dimpled grin before he looked at the camper next to him, who had asked a question.

"Caroline?"

She shook herself, turning back to Elena, who was clearly repeating her name for the second or third time. "Sorry, what?"

"I was just asking what we're doing after lunch."

"We have super-fun field games with the boys, and then we're doing art. After dinner, we have some free time to relax before bed. Sound good?"

Elena nodded, and Caroline resisted the urge to tell her to stop shoving potatoes in her mouth like they'd never let her eat again.

The rest of the week passed with her and Klaus stealing heated looks and secret smiles, and though they'd managed a few quick meetings, none of them had been long enough to really get anywhere past making out. Caroline was in serious need of an orgasm at this point, and she knew Klaus felt the same from the delicious promises he whispered in her ear about the things he wanted to do to her when they had some time.

By the time Saturday rolled around, Caroline was frustrated beyond words. Sure, she'd kind of expected a long dry spell at camp, but now that she actually had someone at camp to fool around with, the wait was practically _unbearable_. It didn't help that Klaus would brush against her when they walked by each other, a ghost of his palm pressing against her waist or back for the barest second before he walked away, the movement so subtle that she almost felt like she'd imagined it. He'd give her heated looks that made her lower belly ache, his eyes drinking her in as though she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

It was intoxicating to know how much he wanted her. She loved the way his eyes went dark, his fingers twitching as though he was only barely stopping himself from touching her.

They were having a girls vs. boys game of capture the flag right before lunch, and Klaus walked by her, his hand fleetingly stroking her arm before he leaned towards her, his breath hot in her ear. "Tonight at the campfire," he whispered, nipping her earlobe lightly, the sensation sending jolts of arousal to her lower belly, her nipples stiffening against her bra.

She shoved him away and looked at Bonnie to see if her friend had noticed, but she was busy explaining to Tatia and Elena that it wasn't fair to slip out of the jail and then pretend they weren't out by saying they were the other twin. She turned back to Klaus, who shot her a dimpled smirk and a wink before walking away with his hands in his pockets, leaving her flushed and aching for him.

The day seemed to pass much more slowly than usual as the anticipation of that night built. She was distracted by fantasies of his hands against her skin, the images so vivid that she almost felt the ghost of his touch. She couldn't help but wonder which of the things he'd promised during their rushed rendezvous they would do that night. She had visions of his tongue on her clit as he knelt between her thighs, the bark of the tree behind her biting into her skin as she tried to stay quiet, or of bending over while he fucked her from behind, barely secluded in the trees where anyone could stumble upon them if they weren't careful...

By the time the seven and eight-year-olds were all gathered around the campfire, Caroline was ready to grab Klaus's arm and physically drag him to the nearest secluded spot, no matter who would see them, but she restrained herself. They sang songs, Marcel playing his guitar to lead them, and she tried to ignore the way Klaus kept glancing at her while they roasted marshmallows. This, of course, resulted in her looking at him more than usual, her center pulsing with need whenever she met his eyes. She found herself shifting on the rough bark of the log, looking for friction, slightly ashamed that her arousal was partly fueled by the knowledge that it was _not_ an appropriate time to be thinking about hot, rough sex in a forest.

"All right, guys! Time to head back to the cabins. It's bigtime-bedtime," Bonnie said cheerfully when there was a lull in activity, and the kids all got up obediently.

"I'll stay and clean up," Caroline said immediately, and Klaus shot her an amused look before volunteering to help.

Bonnie shot them a suspicious glance before nodding and shooing the kids back up the forest path. As soon as they were out of sight, Klaus's hand was wrapped around her wrist as he tugged her over to a nearby tree, pinning her to it and claiming her mouth with rough, needy kisses.

She threaded her fingers through his hair, grinding against him, feeling the heat pulsing inside of her as he thrusted his tongue into her mouth, tracing the backs of her teeth.

Her body was on fire, her fingernails digging into his scalp, and she felt him smile against her mouth before he pulled back, his tongue skating over his lips as he looked at her. He bent to press soft kisses to her cheek before running his tongue along the juncture of her jaw and neck, nipping the skin, and she fisted the back of his shirt, her legs wobbling.

"Klaus, no marks," she gasped, her head tipping back to give him better access even as she spoke, and she felt him smile again, his stubble brushing against her sensitive skin.

"Fine," he mumbled. "Pity. I would have loved to see it. Perhaps I'll leave lingering reminders of my kisses on your pretty breasts. No one will see them but me, but you'll know they're there, that you carry my mark on your skin, that you belong to me."

Her breath was shaky, her eyelids fluttering, and she she swallowed audibly as his words made her core clench. He ran his palms up her back before unhooking her bra, pushing it up with her blouse and bending to press kisses to the valley between her breasts. She moaned as he pressed lightly against the small of her back, encouraging her to press her breasts more fully forward towards his mouth.

"Do you want me, Caroline?" he whispered, and she nodded, gasping as he latched his lips on her nipple, his teeth scraping against her breast and the pleasurable sting making her shiver before he pulled back and blew lightly on the slick skin.

Her nails were digging into his bare back, and she hitched her leg around his waist, rubbing herself against the growing bulge in his shorts. "Yes," she gasped.

It was probably a bad idea to fuck in the middle of the forest, especially since sooner or later Bonnie and Marcel would start wondering where they were and try to look for them, but in that moment she didn't particularly care, her need for him overruling any rational thought. "God, yes. Please."

He grinned and dropped to his knees, and she watched with wide eyes as he slid her shirt up again, curling his tongue around the waistband of her shorts to trace the strip of skin just inside of it, and her legs shook, her core clenching.

"Klaus..."

He gently removed her sandals, his fingers brushing against her ankle in ways that she never realized could be erotic before he unbuttoned her shorts, tugging them down with her thong and helping her step out of them. He kept eye contact with her as he stuffed the lace in his pocket before laying the shorts down in front of her.

"Put a foot on these so the bark doesn't bite into your feet, sweetheart, the other leg over my shoulder. Yes, just like that..." he whispered before pressing a kiss to her thigh, adding a scrape of teeth that made her knees buckle. "Is this alright?"

She nodded frantically, her eyes closing as he nuzzled her inner thigh with his nose. She didn't think she'd ever been so turned on as she was watching Klaus kneel for her, licking his lips as though he was about to indulge in the most delicious meal he'd ever had.

"I want you to scream for me, Caroline."

"But they'll hear- _Ooh_..."

The worry of someone stumbling across them was abruptly wiped from her mind as he touched his tongue to her clit, swirling it around in a few tight circles, his hands quickly settling on her ass to steady her, squeezing lightly.

She'd had men go down on her before, but Klaus seemed to know just how to work his tongue against her clit to build her up before swirling it around her entrance to tease her, keeping her just on the cusp of orgasm without actually reaching it. He gently pulled her closer to his mouth, his fingernails digging into the flesh of her ass, and she arched her back to press her pussy even more firmly against his mouth.

She was quickly flushed and begging, unaware of the amount of time passing, just needing him to keep touching her like _that,_ and she felt him smile against her before he began to tonguefuck her.

"Yes, Klaus... Right there...oh _god,_ " she hissed, feeling herself dangle over the cusp of her high, and with just a few more deft flicks against her clit, she shattered, moaning his name.

Her eyes were glazed as she tried to gather herself, her lips slightly parted, breathing uneven, and Klaus watched with an annoying amount of satisfaction on his face as she leaned against the tree. "Do you want-" she began, gesturing to the clear bulge in his jeans. "I'm on the pill," she added after a moment, and he grinned predatorily, standing up again and pulling off his shirt, letting it crumple to the ground.

"I want to fuck you from behind against this tree, Caroline. I want to feel you hot and wet around my cock, to feel you quiver in my arms as you come. I'm going to watch my release dry on the backs of your thighs before you cover my mark with those tiny denim shorts you so adore, watch them cling to your pretty arse as you walk back to camp knowing that my claim on you is just underneath the fabric."

She nodded, his possessiveness, his _need_ making her clench in anticipation, and she turned around, the bark of the tree rough against her palms as she listened to him unbuckling his belt before the tip of him pressed against her entrance. "Spread your legs a bit more, sweetheart," he coaxed, pressing a kiss to her shoulder as she obeyed. "Perfect," he muttered as he filled her.

She was inclined to agree.

He stretched her in the most delicious of ways, his cock hard and hot and _perfect_ , and she felt sexy and _desirable_ as he began to move while whispering how beautiful she was, how amazing she felt, how much he loved the way she moaned for him, and she felt her release building again, hot and tight in her lower belly.

It wasn't long before she tipped over the edge a second time, her fingernails curling painfully against the trunk of the tree as she clenched around him, and he fucked her through her orgasm before pulling away, his groan low and long as he spilled on the backs of her thighs.

"Fuck, Caroline," he breathed as he leaned against her, his forehead resting on her shoulder. "That was..."

"Yeah," she agreed when he trailed off, nodding shakily and trying to gather herself. "Yeah, it was."

She pulled her blouse back into place, fastening her bra underneath before pulling on her shorts again, sneaking glances at Klaus as he dressed. He grabbed her wrists to pull her to him, crushing her against his chest, and she met his kiss eagerly. The way his palm pressed into her lower back as he threaded his fingers through her hair felt _right,_ and she melted into him as they exchanged a few more soft, languid kisses before parting, both still breathing heavily.

"I guess we should go back," she said reluctantly, and he laughed quietly.

"I suppose so."

She grimaced at the campfire, the garbage and cooking equipment still scattered around, and they cleaned up as quickly as they could before walking back to the staff cabins, sharing another quick kiss before parting.

 **XXX**

Caroline moaned as Klaus ran a fingertip down the flesh of her ass before pressing it against her back entrance as he fingered her pussy with the other, watching her writhe beneath him against his sheets with dark, lust-filled eyes.

Marcel was taking the boys on a backpacking trip with one of the nature guides on Klaus's day off, and Caroline had managed to bribe Camille into switching afternoons off with her so that she could spend some time with him. Though they'd started out watching a movie on his laptop, they'd barely gotten ten minutes in before the laptop was shoved on the side table and she was pressed against his mattress, his sheets tangled around them.

She managed to roll them over so that she was on top and reached between them to stroke him a few times before sinking onto him, her eyes closing as he filled her. She rolled her hips against him, bending to kiss him as they found a rhythm, his cock hitting her g-spot just _perfectly..._

Caroline shrieked in surprise as the door to Klaus's room opened, frantically pulling the sheets around them as Marcel walked in.

"God, that was a nightmare," he complained, dropping his backpack by the door. "Tell me you have some- _holy shit_."

Caroline became acutely aware that she was completely topless, the sheets only covering enough to conceal that Klaus was still inside of her, and Klaus pulled the large heavy blanket over them to cover her up to her shoulders as she buried her face in his neck, blushing brightly.

"You're back early," Klaus said easily, his palm rubbing soothing circles on her lower back, clearly trying to calm her as she shifted on top of him to pull his cock out of her so that they weren't _literally_ having sex.

"Yeah. I guess you weren't expecting me," Marcel said slowly, and Caroline peeked up from her position to see his eyes darting between them, though he looked more amused than anything. "How did this happen?"

"Um..." Caroline said slowly, trying to figure out the best way to summarize, and Marcel waited for a second to see if she would continue before talking again.

"Was this before or after Caroline nearly drowned?"

"After...?" Caroline said hesitantly, her voice trailing off, and frowned when Marcel laughed, pulling out his phone.

"Nice going, Klaus. We won."

"You won what?" Caroline asked, whirling around to glare at Klaus, who looked just as confused as she did.

"Bonbon and I had a bet on who would kiss who first."

"She _what_?"

"Yeah. Made it the third day of orientation after it looked like you two were about to bone in the pool in front of all of us."

"Seriously?" Caroline demanded.

"Yeah, so if the first kiss was by the pool-"

"What? CPR doesn't count," Caroline spluttered, deciding that if Bonnie was enough of a traitor to make a bet, she should at least win it. "Bonnie won!"

"It counts," Klaus said from beneath her, and she turned to glare at him.

"It does not."

They stared at each other, their gazes turning heated quickly, and she felt Klaus's cock throb against her thigh even as Marcel coughed pointedly, making her flush and briefly consider moving to Australia to avoid her embarrassment.

"So...since you guys have clearly decided to eyefuck instead of continuing this conversation, I'm going to go grab some lunch and tell Bonnie that I won."

Caroline flushed again, and she heard Marcel chuckle before the door closed.

"So, where were we?" Klaus asked quietly, his hand moving down to her ass, and she snorted.

"Not a fucking chance. The mood is ruined."

She found herself underneath him a few seconds later, his lips sucking bright red marks along her neck. "Are you sure, love? I can be very convincing..."

She hummed as he scraped his teeth across her shoulder, her pussy back to throbbing uncomfortably with need. "Fine," she breathed. "Convince me."

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you thought.


	4. Chapter 4

Last chapter! It ended up being much longer than the others. Oops.

Thank you to garglyswoof for betaing. She has been a rockstar and really stepped up when I was writing this super fast. Also, another happy birthday to MrsAgentCooper, who was the person this monster was written for. Both of them have fabulous stories that you should check out.

I hope you enjoy the last installment!

* * *

"Caroline?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you too," Caroline said sleepily, turning to look at Bonnie, who seemed much more alert.

It was their last day off before camp ended, and she and Bonnie were spending it in the field by the lake. The sun was pleasantly warm on her skin, the light summer breeze lightly blowing her hair, and they'd been comfortably listening to music for the past hour or so.

She'd almost fallen back asleep when Bonnie spoke again, this time turning off the music from Caroline's phone. "Caroline?"

"Yeah?"

"I know what happened at the campfire."

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked slowly. Had Bonnie stumbled upon them in the woods without them noticing? Why would she bring it up?

"When we were sixteen," Bonnie said sitting up, and Caroline did the same, relieved that her friend hadn't spotted her and Klaus fucking against a tree, but also nervous about what Bonnie would say. "I heard everything."

"Oh..."

"You wanted to be with him, but you didn't because of me. I saw how upset you were when he went to talk to Aurora, but I asked about it and you told me nothing happened. I didn't know how to bring it up..."

Bonnie trailed off, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Caroline desperately wanted to interrupt but kept quiet, knowing her friend was just gathering her thoughts before she took a shaky breath and continued.

"I know that you didn't want to tell me about you guys being together because you were worried about what I'd think...but you're my best friend," she said quietly. "You've always been my best friend. I want you to be happy, and I don't know whether I'm more hurt because you lied to me for five years or because you thought I'd judge you for it."

"Oh, Bonnie..." Caroline whispered, her heart pounding in her chest. Now that Bonnie mentioned it, clearly hurt by Caroline's lack of honesty, Caroline felt like a _horrible_ friend. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Like, did you really think I'd be that mad? Do you _know_ me?" Bonnie continued, clearly gearing up for a rant. "We're best friends, Care. I wouldn't be mad at you for making out with Klaus. I mean, half the reason I hate him is because he was an ass to you."

"Bonnie, I—"

"I'm always on your side, just like you are for me," Bonnie said before Caroline could finish her thought. "I want you to be happy, and if Klaus makes you happy, then he's automatically in my good books, no matter how much of an asshole I think he is."

Caroline's throat was tight, and she wasn't sure how to respond other than to give Bonnie a tight hug, so she did. "I'm so sorry," she said quietly, struggling not to tear up. "I should have told you. You know I think you're the best, Bon."

"I know I'm the best," Bonnie said, hugging her back. "And yeah, you should have. Going forward, remember that this is a judgment-free zone."

"You too," Caroline said. "You're my number one."

Bonnie grinned, and they both settled back down on the towels, content to just enjoy the sunlight. Caroline stretched before pulling out her phone to play some soft music, but she hesitated before hitting the play button.

"Bonnie?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Bonnie laughed. "I love you too."

The comfortable silence lingered for a few more seconds before Caroline spoke again.

"Bonnie?"

"Yeah?"

"If you date someone I hate, I promise I'll be nice to them and not judge your life choices."

"Thanks," Bonnie said, and Caroline could hear the smile in her voice.

She turned the music back on before blindly reaching between them for Bonnie's hand, tangling their fingers together.

 **XXX**

Caroline was exhausted.

She and the rest of the counselors had just herded the last group of excited kids onto the big bus, giving hugs and wishing all of them a good year before they went back to their parents. Shed waved Klaus and Bonnie on so that she could talk to Alaric about the staff party shed organized for the next day before everyone left, but she was about ready to collapse. She fanned herself as she walked to the staff lounge. She lived with her father during the summers, having decided to switch parents once she was eighteen (and though it hurt to admit, she suspected that her mother had been relieved rather than disappointed), and she was looking forward to being back in Atlanta with air conditioning the next day.

The lounge was full, Klaus on one of the couches, doodling in a sketchbook while the other counselors chatted around the room. He looked up as Caroline approached, lifting his arm so that she could slide under it, snuggling into his side.

"What are you drawing?"

"You," he said, pulling a face, and she shoved him lightly in the side, giggling.

"Why are you so grumpy?"

"We're leaving tomorrow."

She heard the unspoken ' _I'll miss you'_ and tried not to smile too widely, laying her head on his shoulder instead. "It won't be that long of a drive in the fall," she said, placing her hand on his knee. "Brown and MIT are pretty close. I'm looking forward to having a real date."

He grinned, squeezing her shoulder lightly and letting out a breath. "I do hope it lives up to your expectations."

"I'm sure it will," she said, closing her eyes. "Sorry. I'm really tired, and you are an _excellent_ pillow."

"Sleep, then."

She hummed in response, dozing off as everyone chattered around her, the scratch of Klaus's pencil against the sketchbook oddly soothing.

It was dark outside when she was gently nudged awake, and she huffed, burying her face in Klaus's shoulder, closing her eyes tightly. "I don't want to get up," she mumbled, and she heard what she recognized as one of Bonnie's trademark long-suffering sighs.

"Come on, sweetheart," Klaus murmured, standing up, and she grumbled under her breath, curling up against the cushions instead. She felt strong arms slide under her knees and behind her back, and she heard Bonnie groan.

"God, you guys are disgusting."

Caroline lazily gave Bonnie the middle finger before pressing her cheek against Klaus's shoulder. She shifted in his arms, lifting her head carefully to murmur in his ear when Bonnie wasn't looking. "All of my pajamas are dirty, and we can't do laundry anymore. Can I borrow one of your shirts?"

"You're really not that tired, are you?" he asked, sounding vaguely amused, and she grinned, nipping his ear before laying her head on his shoulder again.

"Nope, but I like traveling-by-boyfriend. Very efficient."

"Are you using me, Caroline?" he asked, and she could hear the smile in his voice, the affection.

"Just a little," she said, placing her hand on his shoulder to steady herself when he set her down in front of the door to her and Bonnie's shared bedroom. She waved Bonnie off when her friend muttered that if Caroline was going to say goodbye she called dibs on the shower, and stood on her toes to give Klaus a chaste kiss.

"How's half past eleven for you?" he asked, pulling back, his hands settled on her waist.

"For what?"

"Driving you home," he said, as though it was obvious.

"Bonnie and I are driving together," she said slowly, frowning.

Klaus gave her a faux innocent look, though she could see the slight insecurity in his eyes and the way his body stiffened, his fingers flexing slightly on her waist as though he was worried she'd move out of his arms. "If I recall correctly, Bonnie lives a bit closer to Virginia, and I've offered to take you so that she won't have to drive all the way to Atlanta and back. I came up from New Orleans, so you're on the way."

"You seriously drove the twelve hours alone? Why didn't you fly?"

"I wanted a car," he said simply, hesitating before he spoke again. "I was also wondering if you'd like me to drive you back to MIT in August. It's not far out of the way, and I know that you won't have a car."

She knew it was silly for her heart to lift so much at the simple offer, but it was nice that Klaus cared enough to think about ways to spend time with her. She usually flew to Boston, but she hadn't gotten her ticket yet, and a road trip sounded like it could be fun.

"Yeah. I'd like that," she said, giving in and letting a large smile creep over her face. "As long as you think you can stand being in a car with me for that long."

"I have no doubt that you will be endearingly fond of music I despise, but I'll manage."

She laughed. "Probably. Now, get me your shirt."

He gave her a dimpled grin, the smile so much more carefree than the seemingly permanent smirk that was usually etched on his face. That lasted until he tugged off his shirt, handing it to her, and she watched as his smile shifted from happy to smug. "So demanding," he said, and she bit her lip, flushing.

She'd meant a _clean_ shirt, but maybe it wouldn't be bad to sleep wrapped in his scent.

She stood on her toes to kiss him again, cupping his cheeks with her palms and pulling back. "See you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Caroline."

She slipped through her bedroom door, closing it gently behind her.

They were in the honeymoon stage, still giddy from their feelings for each other and the newness of it, but she knew that once they settled into each other, a relationship with Klaus would be difficult at first. They clashed on a lot of topics, and she knew perfectly well that they often fought about things that were incredibly stupid, mostly because they were both too stubborn to back down. Their similarities might make it harder than their differences, but she knew that they could work it out. Even when they were fighting it was somehow exhilarating and interesting. He thought she was smart and he _listened,_ which was more than she could say for most boys she knew (and she knew _a lot_ , since MIT was practically an infestation of men who thought they were a gift to the world and much smarter than her tiny woman brain could ever comprehend).

And the way he looked at her...

She leaned against the door, still clutching his shirt in her fist, a small smile on her face.

It would be worth it.

 **Two years later...**

Caroline set down her now-drained fruity drink on the polished top of the bar, feeling giggly and a bit off-balance. It was her 23rd birthday, and she and her friends had decided to go out to a low-key bar, knowing they'd get drunk and not wanting to risk a crowded dancefloor.

Bonnie was the designated mom friend for the night, and Caroline had noticed that she was distracted, constantly checking her phone.

To be fair, Caroline was a bit distracted as well. Klaus had promised to call around dinnertime, but he hadn't, and she was trying not to feel too depressed that he'd clearly forgotten her birthday. "May I have another one, please?" she asked the bartender, not drunk enough to forget her manners, and the bartender nodded, grabbing a bottle of vodka to mix her another drink.

She and Davina were soon deep in what was probably a completely unfollowable bitchfest about The Bachelor while Enzo nursed his bourbon, watching them with polite interest, clearly itching to change the subject.

"Bon-bon," Caroline called. "Who are you texting? Is it a boy?"

"Yeah, is it another bloke?" she heard Enzo whisper, sounding vaguely amused, and Bonnie huffed, elbowing him in the side.

"Stop," she said, giggling when he took advantage of being a good eight inches taller than her to peek over her shoulder, his chin resting on her head.

"Ah. Another man with an accent and dodgy morals. I see how it is."

Caroline's head snapped up to look at Bonnie. "Is that Klaus? Are you texting Klaus?"

Bonnie glared at Enzo. "Really? You had to ruin it?"

"Is Klaus coming?" Caroline asked, her words slightly slurred, and Bonnie sighed, pocketing her phone again.

"Just act surprised, okay? He'll probably kill me if he thinks I ruined it."

Caroline beamed, happy that he hadn't forgotten after all. "Mmkay. I promise."

She had an extra surge of energy now, and Bonnie confiscated Cosmo number four, asking the bartender to get her some water instead. Caroline pouted but allowed Bonnie to make sure she didn't get alcohol poisoning, starting in surprise when she felt familiar arms slip around her waist. Klaus's stubble brushed against her ear before he pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Hello, sweetheart."

"Hey," she said happily, wriggling out of his arms so that she could turn to hug him, swaying slightly on her feet.

He pulled her to him, and she smiled, savoring the feeling of having him hold her again. She loved how she fit against the hard planes of his body, the way he smelled, how his hands seemed to always be warm and comforting against her when he pulled her close. "Happy Birthday," he said, and she pecked him on the lips, smiling brightly.

"Thank you!"

"I have something for you," he said, and Caroline frowned, her eyes raking up and down his body to check for anything sticking out of his pockets, and he laughed quietly. "It's back in my suitcase."

"Suitcase?"

"Bonnie has agreed to stay over at Lorenzo's flat for a few days so that I can spend some time with you," he said. "Is that alright?"

"Of course," she said immediately, the unspoken reference to the group decision to never have the four of them living under one roof at once was thick in the air.

Caroline still maintained that bribing Klaus with sexual favors while they were playing Monopoly to trade her the last yellow property for the fucking _electric company_ so that she could have a monopoly on an entire side of the board was _not cheating._ 'You can make trades. It says so in the rules!' she'd insisted.

Enzo had innocently asked if he could have the same deal, and though he was talking to Bonnie, Klaus hadn't been looking, thought he'd been talking to Caroline, and...

Well, Enzo didn't have _scars_ , or anything.

"May I take you home, then?"

She giggled, fitting her hand into the crook of his arm. "You may," she said in a horrible imitation of his accent, and he grinned at her.

"You going to drink this?" Davina called, pointing at the Cosmo, and Caroline shook her head.

"Go for it."

Klaus led her to his car, opening the passenger door for her and eyeing her with some trepidation as he got in the driver's side, starting the car. "Do you have everything? Wallet? Keys?"

"Yep," she said cheerfully, going through her purse to make sure, and they drove off, making small talk about how classes were going. When they got to her tiny apartment that she split with Bonnie (who went to a fine arts school nearby for dance and voice), he brought his suitcase inside, setting it just inside the bedroom door, bending to open it.

She wriggled out of her tight dress, and Klaus gave her a wolfish grin as he glanced over his shoulder. "Sweetheart, you are beautiful and quite tempting, but I'd like to wait until you're properly sober."

She pouted. "Why?"

"I'd like you to enjoy everything I'm going to do to you," he said, his voice low, and she felt a shiver shoot down her spine before she nodded, going to her closet to find one of his old shirts and putting it on.

At this point, the vast majority of her pajamas were shirts that she "borrowed" when she stayed with him for weekends. He always pretended not to notice her smuggling them out. She sat on the bed and watched him pull a sketchbook out of his suitcase, walking over and handing it to her before climbing in bed behind her.

"What is it?"

"Just look."

She settled herself between his legs without hesitation, her back against his chest, and opened the sketchbook to the first page. It was a picture of a girl, clearly her despite the odd shading and proportions of the face, and she smiled, trying to fight down a laugh. "Keep going," he said, his chin tucked against her shoulder.

She flipped through the pages, seeing sketches of trees and rocks, cabins, and occasionally flowers. Her face kept popping up as well, and the depictions got progressively better. It didn't take long for her to figure out that it was the sketchbook that he took with him to camp every year. Her breath caught when she turned to a page in the second half of it. It was a younger version of herself, and her face was more accurately portrayed than in any of the previous pictures. She was in profile, her face pulled into a bright smile, the shading indicating a light from below, so probably a campfire.

"This is beautiful," she said softly.

"We were sixteen," he said quietly. "As you can tell, I've been drawing you from...quite early on. It started off because you have a lovely face that I could easily remember, but over time...well, I began to use you as...as a muse, if you'd like the term."

"Oh," she said softly, tracing her fingertip down her jaw before flipping to the next page, smiling when she saw a beautifully shaded flower. "This is pretty too."

"I actually only used this sketchbook at Whitmore, so it'll jump to the summer when I came back in a few pages," he said, and she smiled in anticipation as she flipped through the pages.

The first one was her scowling face, and she suspected it was from the first day of orientation. That page was followed by her laughing, her hair wet and clinging to her face, eyes sparkling with mischief. She smirked when she saw the drawing of her in a bikini, stretched out on a the towel by the lake. She knew what the next one was before she turned the page, and sure enough it was her with wide eyes, her arms covering her clearly bare breasts, her cheeks flushed.

"You haven't shown this to anyone, right?" she asked, trying not to laugh.

"Of course not. My eyes only, and now yours."

She smiled, turning the page again to see her with her eyes closed, her head thrown back, and she felt her cheeks heat. "Well, that's good. They're amazing."

"I don't do you justice, sweetheart," he said, his fingers gently stroking the skin of her thigh.

She didn't quite know what to say, though she knew that Klaus was expecting _something_ , and her only coherent thought something along the lines of 'is this really how he sees me?'. She traced a fingertip along the plump lips of the Caroline on the page, her breath catching.

"I..." she started, her hands shaking as she closed the book and turned to face him, kneeling between his legs, her forehead pressed against his. "You make me feel beautiful," she settled on, not quite knowing how to express the emotions swirling inside of her.

He frowned, clearly about to say something, but she pushed on before he could talk.

"I can't believe you've been drawing me for that long. Like, obviously I knew you were _drawing me_ , but I didn't realize...like...you've...you've liked me for a long time."

He seemed rather amused by that, his hands settling on her hips. "Yes, I have."

"Thank you for showing me," she whispered. "They're...I love them."

"I have more," he said, clearly hesitant, and she wasn't sure why.

"I'd love to see them," she said, pecking him lightly on the lips before closing the book with shaking hands, the soft leather cover smooth under her fingertips. "Can I keep this?"

He looked faintly surprised at her question. "Of course. I mean, if you'd like."

"Yeah," she said, smiling. "I miss you, you know. When you're not here. I mean, Skyping is great and everything, but..." she trailed off.

"I know, sweetheart," he said, his palm settling on her back.

"I love you," she said, pressing another light kiss to his stubbled cheek.

"And I you, sweetheart."

Her eyelids were drooping, no matter how hard she was fighting to stay awake, and she couldn't suppress a yawn. "I'm sorry. I want to talk more, but I'm so tired."

"I can tell," he said, gently pushing her off of him and getting up to turn the lights off before shedding his jeans and shirt and climbing back into bed with her. She slid on top of him to tangle her legs with his, pressing her cheek against his chest.

"Thank you for showing me," she said again, humming in contentment as he stroked her hair.

"Of course, love."

"And thanks for coming. This was a great birthday," she said, stretching up to peck him on the lips before settling back against him. "I love you."

"Love you too, sweetheart. Good night."

"Night," she mumbled, closing her eyes.

It was cliche, but that first shaking breath that she took when she regained consciousness by the pool had made her realize that life was short. Even after they'd gotten together she'd denied it to herself, but over time she realized that the way he looked at her when she opened her eyes made her realize that it was kind of silly to put off acting on her feelings for him any longer. Sure, she'd insisted that she didn't owe him a chance, and that was true, but she chose to give him one, to try, and she was so glad she had...

She listened to his breathing as he fell asleep, his chest rising and falling slowly, his heartbeat constant. It was comforting to feel him, and she'd never felt so safe as when she was in his arms.

As she'd suspected when she'd left Whitmore at the end of their first summer together, it _had_ been hard. There'd been screaming fights, some tears, excellent make-up sex... And there had also been amazing dates, sweet moments where she'd never been happier. Going on long car rides at one in the morning with the windows down and the heat turned up was one of Caroline's favorite memories. They'd been on trips to art galleries that she'd went into thinking she'd loathe, but finding her mind changed from the way Klaus lit up as he talked about the pieces. He'd sat through every single one of her debate competitions despite clearly finding them boring as shit, and the pride in his eyes when she won was a surge of energy deep in her gut.

Being with him was... _right_.

When she'd gone to orientation at Camp Whitmore two years before, she'd told Bonnie that she'd had a feeling it was going to be an amazing summer, and she'd been right. The trend had continued, and she knew that their summer post-graduation would be the same.

Klaus was planning to take her on vacation in England to meet his family over the holidays, and she'd peeked in his internet history to look for Christmas present ideas for him and his family and she'd stumbled on...

Well, her Nana had always said that June weddings were 'tacky', but maybe July?

Awesome summers were _their thing,_ and she intended to keep it that way.

* * *

I hope you liked it! Did you have a favorite part or line? Any constructive criticism? Any comments on the story in general? Reviewing is the only way I know what you're thinking, so please tell me what your thoughts are :D

You can catch me on tumblr at thetourguidebarbie and twitter at AngieWritesKC. Thanks for reading, guys!


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